I caved

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We are low on groceries in the house (so no quick grab & go foods) and I didn't allow myself enough time today to prepare food before I left for errands. So, of course I was starving by the time I was finished. I fell into an old pattern and headed to the nearest drive thru. So now, 820 calories and most of my daily sodium later, I feel like crap. It didn't taste good and it definitely wasn't worth it! Instant regret and I'm really kicking myself at the moment.

This week has been rough. I've been staying under my calories pretty regularly, but the last week my sodium was up quite a bit because of eating out a lot. Therefore I must have been retaining a lot of water and overnight the scale showed a 5 lb increase (?!?!?). A week later and I'm still up a pound over last week's weigh in.

SO, today I think I just said to myself "Scr*w it, I'm eating what I want". Now I'm regretting it. Even though I'm sure I'll stay under my calories for the day, plus I will go to my karate class as usual, I'm pretty sure I set myself back even more.

I just want this to go FASTER! A week holding onto to water weight that wasn't there last week is really getting me down. I'm trying to stay away from the scale and enjoy the way I feel lately, but I'm still feeling pretty down & out.

The ticker says 21 lbs, but in reality I've only lost about 7 since I restarted for the New Year. That 21 is from when I first downloaded the app a year ago and lost some then. I know, it's still a loss, but I have so much farther to go! Like 50-60 lbs...

Thanks for letting me rant!

Jenna

Replies

  • PamelaGatorMom
    PamelaGatorMom Posts: 348 Member
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    7 pounds since jan is not too shabby.
    And I think we all have days when we slip up (either planned or not planned)
    Just rememebr tomorrow is a new day with all new calories to eat & fat to burn!!
    Keep your head up :smile:
  • demorelli
    demorelli Posts: 508 Member
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    Bad days happen. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on. Don't stress about it. Look at your overall results! You're doing great!
  • karenk2f
    karenk2f Posts: 21 Member
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    No worries! No one is perfect. We just have to pull ourselves up and try again. I can totally understand, though. WAY too much sodium over the weekend did it to me as well. Felt horrible and gained some water weight. With other people on MFP to cheer you on, you shrug it off and keep working. But I learned a valuable lesson because of it and will do better. It'll be okay!
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Why beat yourself up now? It sounds like you've been punished enough since you didn't enjoy the meal. You haven't set yourself back - you've proved that you have changed because your reaction to eating that food was different than it would have been before. In terms of weight loss - big deal. Really. Fast food is not the end of the world. You don't even think you're going to have gone over your calorie goal, so no harm has been done. You might gain some water weight, but you already know that. If you really can't handle seeing that, maybe stay off the scale for a while.

    In terms of your nutrition/lifestyle goals - it seems like a set back, but it's the good kind of set back. It's the kind that you learn from and use to do things differently next time. Remember how that meal made you feel, and use that next time you get tempted.

    This is a lifetime thing. Even when you reach your goal, you will still have to work at it. Things like this will happen sometimes. There will be bad days, and bad weeks, and sometimes that may have an effect on your eating habits, and hopefully as time goes on, you will find other ways of coping. You have still lost 21 lbs though, and I have to say - as slow as it seems, 7 lbs since New Year is fantastic! Weight loss is slow, boring, frustrating, and hard, but you're doing it! You're going to your karate class, and tomorrow you will be making better choices than you did today. You'll get there. All you have to do is keep getting back up. :flowerforyou:
  • jltotaro
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    Thank you all for your kind words. I'm still majorly bloated and I've been drinking tons of water to try to flush out all the sodium. Going to class soon to work off some calories!
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
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    I know what you mean about your body holding on to the water weight after a meal like that. It takes me about about a week to get back to where I was before. It kind of reminds me of that saying, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results". I know it'll happen when I'm doing it. How many times do I have to do it until I learn from it? This time around I've been doing better with it. I have learned to keep a Think Thin bar in my purse. It helps.
  • mccraneyangels
    mccraneyangels Posts: 5 Member
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    Good for you! You ate what you wanted.......NOW jump back on the diet horse and ride. Tomorrow doesn't need to be another day of self loathing & regret. With each new dawn there comes a new day (somebody smart probably said that and I'm thinking it's my own profound statement) . . Drinks lots and lots of water today and eat some cranberries, watermelon, lettuce,cabbage, beets, lemons& carrots. They are natural diuretics and will help reverse all the sodium . And if you can next time you have to do fast food think subway which has healthier choices . Good luck next week
  • lhalket
    lhalket Posts: 75 Member
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    Don't beat yourself up...you recognize what you did and can now move on. I did the same thing earlier this week. I planned to go out - had the Applebee's 500 calorie meal thinking I was doing "good" but when I posted it on MFP - that meal had a whole day's worth of sodium! So being extremely careful now. This is not an overnight change - all good things take time. :) Feel free to add me as a friend for support.
  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
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    It seems to defy physics that you didn't really eat and drink that much...like it's grabbing "water weight" right out of thin air.

    Just remember what you feel like the next time you think that you want to repeat this scenario. And do what you have done: notice it and pick yourself up and go on. Each day a chance to recommit to yourself and your goal(s).

    Yes, it can be slow going but in the end the slow reduction is probably best to allow your body to adjust. I spent nearly a year at the same weight but my body was still changing during that time. In some ways it has made the final drop and the transition to maintenance a lot easier.
  • tracieorama
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    I cave too! Usually what I do when I end at a drive through, I'll just get a burger or chicken fingers, no fries, and no soda. It helps ease my conscience a little bit. Don't feel bad about it though!
  • jonibc
    jonibc Posts: 104 Member
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    I had to run through McDonald's drive-thru today and I got a grilled chicken club, no mayo, no cheese, side salad, diet coke. Less than 400 calories. There are times when I go over on my calories. I count them and go on. Get back to it the next day. The idea of screw it, I blew it, I'm going to eat whatever I want, is a cop out.